Abortion: Where Do the 2016 Presidential Candidates Stand?

With the ongoing controversy over the release of heavily edited videos that falsely portrays the illegal sale of fetal tissue by Planned Parenthood, abortion and women’s rights are sure to be important issues in the 2016 presidential election. Here’s a breakdown of each candidate’s stance on abortion.

Hillary Clinton (D)

Clinton believes abortion should remain legal, but needs to remain safe and rare. Hillary also believes that the number of abortions can be reduced through education and access to contraceptives. In 2006, she led efforts to make adoptions easier and increase support for families in the adoption process. She has also stated that she could support a ban on late-term or partial-birth abortions, so long as the health and life of the mother is protected. If the woman’s life is at stake or her ability to have children in the future, it should be the woman’s choice. During a 1999 speech to NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League), Clinton said, “I never met anyone who is pro-abortion. Being pro-choice is not being pro-abortion. Being pro-choice is trusting the individual to make the right decision for herself and her family, and not entrusting the decision to anyone wearing the authority of government in any regard.”

Bernie Sanders (D)

The senator from Vermont is very pro women’s rights and gender equality. Sanders’ stance on abortion is that it should remain safe and legal, and should be a decision for the woman, her family, and physician to make, not the government. In a 2012 piece for the Huffington Post, Sanders wrote, “We are not returning to the days of back-room abortions, when countless women died or were maimed. The decision about abortion must remain a decision for the woman, her family, and physician to make, not the government.”

Ted Cruz (R)

Cruz is strongly against abortion, including pregnancies resulting from incest and rape. Along with abortion procedures, he believes that some forms of contraception (like the Plan B morning after pill) are abortifacients, saying they cause abortions by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting into the uterus. Science has proven otherwise in regards to the Plan B contraceptive, which actually delays/inhibits ovulation and thickens cervical mucus, resulting in the sperm being unable to swim.

In 2012, Cruz said that companies should be able to deny coverage of birth control through insurance at their discretion and is in opposition of churches providing birth control.

John Kasich (R)

As Governor, Kasich has signed and supported some of the most stringent anti-abortion legislation in the country. Since taking office in 2011, Kasich has enacted 16 anti-abortion measures; some directly relating to abortion access and others limiting the work of abortion providers. In 2013, when signing his state’s budget bill, he prohibited state-funded rape crisis counselors from referring women to abortion services. He also created a provision that requires doctors who perform abortions to first complete a fetal ultrasound and require the mother to see or listen to the heartbeat of the fetus. Doctors are also required to read a script about “fetal heartbeats” written by Ohio legislators. The budget bill also removed $1.4 million in family planning funding from Planned Parenthood. In August, Kasich was asked about abortion and replied with, “Obviously, it’s the law of the land now, and we live with the law of the land. It’s the law of the land until it changes.”

Donald Trump (R)

In his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, Trump wrote three sentences regarding abortion, claiming to be for the woman’s right to choose, but against partial-birth abortion. In 2011, at a Washington, D.C. conference, Trump was asked about his pro-choice stance and responded with, “Who said I’m pro-choice?” In fact, in 1999, Trump told Meet the Press, “Well, I’m very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion. I hate it. I hate everything it stands for. I cringe when I listen to people debate the subject. But, you still, I just believe in choice.” Later, in 2011, Trump said during a radio show with Laura Ingram, “I’m pro-life.” Trump has stated that he agrees that in cases of rape and incest, a woman should have the ability to terminate the pregnancy.

To see where the candidates stand on other issues, check out the articles below:

3 Comments

It seems USA is really divided in these days. In Northern European countries abortion is legal until 12 weeks of pregnancy and free as well. Babies usually survive if born early (even in 5th/6th month) and of course unborn babies (just as born babies same age) feel pain and have emotions in 20 weeks old and earlier. I think 12 weeks is a good limit.
I can’t believe that anyone would think that unborn babies after 12, 16, 20 or even 24 weeks old don’t feel pain.
In Northern Europe women get paid to stay home and care for a child 3 years (3 years government pays almost the same money that they get for working) but actually as long as they want to. They have free e homes and free money. Child care is free for all also. Contraception costs almost nothing and abortion is free or almost as free. Neverthless everyone can afford it.
But still women do abortions, though not as much as in USA. So even if you had economic system like ours it won’t be enough to solve all the problems why women choose abortion.
One of the biggest reasons for women in Northern Europe to have abortion is domestic violence.
Keeping the baby of an monster meens being afraid and 1-18 (until he hurts the child badly enough so that police and court will finally make it stop) years of suffering to a child and mother. I kept my child whose father is pure evil. Her father is sexual predator for women and children. He acted nice at first and then became himself in action and shared his horrific thoughts about child abuse. I left him immediately. I left him before I knew I was pregnant. These 2 weeks before I found out about pregnancy were the last time I was care free and lived without constant fear.
Now after he have acted nice guy long enough in few hours visitations/month he can see her unsupervised. After few times my child came crying and telling about sexual abuse he did to her. In this country I have to force my screaming and crying child to that mans house until police gets time to investigate it. Until that my child will suffer and who knows about the future. Will this court system and police work finally stop him? I have no idea and My hope is almost gone.

All abuser are the same in most ways. Pedophiles, rapists, people who beat up children and women. They are psychopaths who lack emphaty and enjoy hurting and torturing others, also innocent children. I would never wish any woman to get pregnant to a man like that. I wish all women left their boyfriends the first time they abuse them to avoid that. Though it can still be late. If a woman gets pregnant to a man like that and keeps it then court system (also in USA) give him a change to hurt that child and her mother much much more severely before it will stop, if it Will be stopped (depending on court and police work in that state or country).
So if a woman choose to abort that child so that the child wont be hurt, I can’t blame them. That child will be in heaven with God and feel only Joy and no pain. That is action of love, not hate.
If a woman gets raped the child is in danger of sexual abuse and rape also by his father. Rape victims often wish they would die. How they would not think it would be better for her child to be in heaven that being the next victims of that rapist. Their child don’t have the same right to being safe that other babies do since the court system force them to be with men who enjoy sexually, physically and mentally torturing others. It would be terrible and traumatic if children in any age or even adults would have to meet predators in jail but to leave babies and children with them is True evil thing.
To stop abortions people should get in sexual relationship only with partners they really love and who are good to them and other. Contraceptions are not even close to 100% preventing pregnancy. Court system and police should keep children born from rape safe and preventing any predators contacting their children.
I used to be pro life. Now I believe that women do what is best for their child no matter what. This issue is very complicated and involves so many aspects that it’s impossible for others to knows and understand the matter.
There is also the question about life. Men can freeze all their sperm and women can freeze all their eggs. Men can father endless numbers of children and women could have one/year. Women can also give their eggs to other women who can’t have children otherwise. Lets say that a woman would have 30 eggs that are all fertilized in laboratory at the same time. In pro-life view these eggs are now humans with humans right. Their mother could only keep life and development going on for one or few of these eggs that are now called humans. Who should be given an oblication to carry these humans in their wombs for 9 month since otherwise they would die.

WHY don’t the Presidents protect the children and stop child abuse in this country? Presidential candidates need to start addressing this issue NOW. Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, parents need to be tested every month for drugs, alcohol and nicotine whether they are good or bad to make sure children are not in harm’s way and not being jeopardized because of parents’ temptations. Children need to be heard at least once a month by someone like a counselor to make sure they are ok in their situation. There are too many horrific child abuse stories and they are getting worse. My heart hurts when I hear them. I cry when I read them. I can’t stop thinking about them for months. Can you IMAGINE how a darling little child felt when a scary parent or guardian abused or tortured them?! There is no reason a child should be abused or tortured. They are supposed to be taken care of by their parent or guardian. ALL PARENTS NEED TO BE TESTED ONCE A MONTH, ALL CHILDREN NEED TO BE HEARD ONCE A MONTH AT LEAST TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE OK AND NOT BEING TORTURED OR ABUSED. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! HELP THE CHILDREN NOW PLEASE!!! Everyone needs KIND CARING LOVE from the beginning for our world to get better and it needs to start with the little babies as soon as they are born! Parents do not leave your children with anyone that compromises their own health. PARENTS TAKE KIND LOVING CARE OF YOUR CHILDREN PLEASE! The issue of abortion is one that needs to be addressed and stopped also but what about the children that are here? The child abusers are worse than the abortionists. PLEASE HELP!!!

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